I don't think there should be such a thing as getting a real estate license "on the side", or at least there's no useful purpose to it I can think of.
I cannot disagree more, sorry, DoubleDown, though my situation is unique.
I got my real estate broker's license in NY last year to help a friend who was looking to buy. As an attorney in New York, I simply applied with the Dept. of State and paid $150 for the license; I did not have to take any of the classes or jump through any other hoops.
My friend's offer was accepted on Friday and she is now under contract. I stand to make about $4,500 from my $150 investment in a couple of months when she closes (barring any setbacks). In addition, I learned more about the real estate market in my area, and I made some great contacts.
I am about to start working with another friend who is in a similar boat (no real time crunch and interested in looking at lots of properties when I am available).
Once my student loans are paid off and I am able to start investing in properties myself, I can factor in a 2.5% savings on any offer that I make, knowing that money will be returned to me at closing. I only wish I had known about this when I bought my current duplex.
I think there are certain situations when getting a license "on the side" makes sense. For me, the ease of getting the license with the low cost was a no brainer. Even if my friend ended up not buying a house, I could only lose $150.
To the OP - do it, worse thing that happens, you get a license that sits in a drawer, you never use it, and it expires.